The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-05-12
THE DIVISION LINES N PROHIBITION.

ne dHtl- pIOnlOltlOHlslo ha'S NV -
state convention and declared the plat
form that shall govern them in the com
ing campaign. This platform was no
made alone for democrats to stand upon
but is built of planks upon which republi
cans can also take position. 1t Is a plat
form broader than party isms, It's plat
form of personal rights and Liberties
With this understanding it is matter OF
interest TO estimate who can, with surety
be counted upon to base their faith upon
this platform. The nature OF the pro-
hibitiou amendment must be promised TO
make the estimate. The proposed con
stitutional amendment Declares hrSt
against the manufacture of Intoxicating
liauors." This is clearly class legislation,
and is so manifestly opposed to the
theory of our government, national and
state. that it must enlist in its opposition
people generally without regard to
their political predictions. The amend
ment next provides against the sale and
exchange of intoxicating liquors" 1t Is
around this section of the amendment
that the brant of the battle will be, and
here it is where conscience and morality
will play at hide and seek with per
sonal and civil liberty. Logic
ally, the "sale and exchange of
Intoxicating liquors" can be restrained
on one of two grounds-frst, morality;
second, because of the civil effects of the
trade. The question of morals is extra
politics and the sphere of governmental
procedure. No government can regulate
vices. These are matters of moral suasion
and religious control. Only when these
vices find expression in overt acts against
society and governmental authority, can
the law step in aud lay on its hands. The
strictly moral phase of the question be
ing thus eliminated, only the civil effects
of the "sale and exchange of Intoxicating
liquors" remain for investigation. Laws
and penalties are designed, not so much
to punish the guilty as to protect society,
to warn against the recurrence of the Of
Tense. The murderer's death is not in ex-
piation of his crime, as that cannot com
pensate the state for the life of his victim,
but it is for a terrible warning against
mans taking the life of his fellow crea-
ture; it is the safeguard society erects
around itself. The "sale and exchange of
Intoxicating liquors" can only be pro-
hibited on the same general principles.
The law, upon the escape of the real muir
derer, does not seize upon some one at
random and put him to death,
simply that an example may be furnished,
that victim may pay the penalty of out
ragged law. Yet prohibition proposes this
very anomaly. Because through the sale
and exchange of intoxicating liquors
some men become drunkards and daily
trsnsgress the civil law, not only these
men, but others who have broken no law,
civil OF divine, are to he seized upon and
made to pay the penalty, the innocent
with the guilty. This is the principle
shorn of all its fanciful embellishments
that underlies this amendment. And it is
principle the result of the confusion OF
the moral and the civil law; the former
having nothing to do with the action OF
government, the latter, under the con-
struction of the prohibitionist, being
thus forced out of all just conception Of
its true meaning.
With these principles in view, those
who will vote against this amendment
may be thus summarized: First, all those
opposed to class legislation; second
those believing in personal liberty ant
fearing to let the government take this
long step to absolute Capitalization, tt
the practices of the inquisition, to tina
confusion of all individual rights tina
eliminates in one man holding himsel
as the source of all rights and all power
And the classes of people, who will
vote against the amendment, are first tn
democrats, whose aim has ever been tn,
utmost personal liberty consistent will
good government, and whose party tenet
have ever been against snch paterna
exercise of governmental authority a
that now proposed; and second, are al
those republicans, who, though believing
in general central government, are no
yet ready to resign all their individual
rights and privileges. These people an'
these classes are in the vast majority il
Texas, and the defeat of the propose
constitutional amendment seems to be
foregone conclusion.
MISS BAZAINE.